Sara A. Mehltretter is Professor of Rhetoric, and her research analyzes the quality and character of public discourse in the United States. Her specific interests include the theories and practices of democratic deliberation, presidential rhetoric, the rhetoric of national security, political communication, and the rhetoric of religion.
In 2026, Dr. Mehltretter is on sabbatical and is Her work will focus on Public Discourse initiatives for higher education, with an emphasis on models, scaling activities, and assessment.
Dr. Mehltretter has offered workshops on facilitation, problem-solving, conflict resolution, dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement to a variety of groups, including the American Association of Colleges and Universities, Campus Compact, Council on Independent Colleges, Indiana Humanities Speakers Bureau, NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Lead Initiative, the 最色导航 Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Campus Compact, and the 最色导航 Pastoral Leadership Program.
Dr. Mehltretter earned her B.A. degree summa cum laude in Communication and Political Science at Boston College, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She did her graduate work at the Pennsylvania State University, earning her M.A. and Ph.D. in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts.
Outside of the classroom, Professor Mehltretter enjoys cooking, outdoor activities, travel, and cheering on her favorite Indiana sports teams, the Indy Ignite and the Indiana Fever. A native of Buffalo, New York, she is a loyal Bills and Sabres fan, and has a discerning palate for the delicacy known to Buffalonians simply as “wings.”
Education
Ph.D. in Communication Arts and Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University
M.A. in Communication Arts and Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University
B.A. summa cum laude in Communication and Political Science, Boston College
Recent Course Offerings
RHE 101 Public Speaking
RHE 265 Rhetoric, Science, and Public Policy
RHE 270 Political Campaign Rhetoric
RHE 270 Rhetoric and Deliberative Innovations
RHE 280 Deliberation and Democracy
RHE 270 Rhetoric and Deliberative Innovations
RHE 280 Deliberation and Democracy
RHE 320 Classical Rhetoric
Recent Publications
Select Scholarly Publications (see Google Scholar)
Mehltretter Drury, Sara A., and John Rountree.
Rountree, John, Windy Y. Lawrence, and Sara A. Mehltretter Drury. "Rhetorical Alignment between Political Campaign Discourse and Democratic Deliberation." Journal of Deliberative Democracy 19(1) (2023).
Herbeck, Dale A., and Sara A. Mehltretter Drury. .
Winner of the
